003 - Assault Preparations

Tarawa Atoll, located 2085 miles southwest of Pearl Harbor and 540 miles southeast of Kwajalein in the Marshalls, is home to Betio, its principal island. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Japanese swiftly captured Tarawa from the British within just three days. In August 1943, Vice Admiral Raymond A. Spruance traveled to New Zealand to meet in secrecy with Major General Julian C. Smith and his senior staff. During this pivotal meeting, Spruance instructed the Marines to prepare for an amphibious assault on Japanese positions in the Gilbert Islands come November. Lieutenant Colonel David M. Shoup, General Smith’s operations officer, meticulously examined a rudimentary chart of Betio and noted that the island was encircled by a daunting barrier reef. He inquired whether any of the Navys innovative shallow-draft plastic boats could be made available. Unfortunately, the response was a flat Not available, with only traditional wooden landing craft expected. Shoups disappointment was palpable, yet General Smith could sense the wheels of Shoup’s brilliant mind turning as he began to formulate an audacious plan. The outcome of this operation would prove to be nothing short of historic, marking Tarawa as a crucial turning point and the first large-scale test of American amphibious doctrine against a heavily fortified beachhead. - Summary by Joseph H Alexander